1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connection structure of a crimping terminal to an electric wire.
2. Description of Related Art
FIGS. 7(a) to 7(c) show a connection structure between a terminal and an electric wire described in Patent Reference 1.
In this connection structure between the terminal and the electric wire, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), a metallic cap 230 with the size in which the range from a conductor (mainly including a twisted wire obtained by twisting many strands together) Wa exposed by removing an insulating sheath Wb to the portion having the insulating sheath Wb is covered is first attached to the distal end of an electric wire W, and the insertion portion of the conductor Wa of the distal end of the electric wire W to which the cap 230 is attached is placed on a base plate part 221 of an electric wire connection part 212 formed in the back of a terminal 210. In that state, as shown in FIG. 7(c), a pair of conductor crimping pieces 222 extending in both lateral edges of the base plate part 221 is crimped so as to obtain a state in which the conductor Wa and the cap 230 make close contact with an upper surface of the base plate part 221 by inwardly bending the conductor crimping pieces 222 so as to wrap the cap 230.
The cap 230 has a bag shape in which the front end is closed and the back end is opened, and a portion 231 into which the outer periphery of the conductor Wa is fitted is formed in a tube shape with a small diameter, and an inlet (back end) side portion 232 into which the outer periphery of the insulating sheath Wb is fitted is formed in a tube shape with a large diameter, and a gap between the conductor Wa and the cap 230 is filled with a waterproof filler (not shown). Also, an inner peripheral surface of the electric wire connection part 212 of the terminal 210 is provided with serrations 228 for increasing contact continuity between the cap 230 and the terminal 210.
The reason why the cap 230 is used herein is because electrolytic corrosion may occur when water adheres to a part of contact between different kinds of metals (that is, a crimping part) in the case where, for example, the conductor Wa of the electric wire W is made of aluminum or aluminum alloy and the terminal 210 is made of copper or copper alloy, and a material of the cap 230 is set in the same kind (copper or copper alloy) as a material of the terminal 210. A terminal made of aluminum or aluminum alloy can also be used for an aluminum electric wire, but a terminal made of copper or copper alloy has an advantage over the terminal made of aluminum or aluminum alloy in strength. When the materials are selected thus, the cap 230 is made of metal different from that of the conductor Wa of the electric wire W (the former is made of copper or copper alloy and the latter is made of aluminum or aluminum alloy), but a gap between the conductor Wa and the cap 230 is filled with a filler (not shown), and water is prevented from entering the inside of the cap 230 and there is no fear of electrolytic corrosion.